This narrated computer animation shows results from a research project involving simulated Darwinian evolutions of virtual block creatures. A population of several hundred creatures is created within a supercomputer, and each creature is tested for their ability to perform a given task, such the ability to swim in a simulated water environment. The successful survive, and their virtual genes containing coded instructions for their growth, are copied, combined, and mutated to make offspring for a new population. The new creatures are again tested, and some may be improvements on their parents. As this cycle of variation and selection continues, creatures with more and more successful behaviors can emerge.
The creatures shown are results the final products from many independent simulations in which they were selected for swimming, walking, jumping, following, and competing for control of a green cube.
Credits
Software and Animation by Karl Sims
Narration by Eric Hansen, thanks to the Berlin VideoMath Festival
Thanks also to Gary Oberbrunner, Matt Fitzgibbon, and Lew Tucker
Contact Information
For further technical information, see:
http://www.genarts.com/karl/papers/siggraph94.pdf
http://www.genarts.com/karl/papers/alife94.pdf
For information on other works by Karl Sims visit: http://www.genarts.com/karl/
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